• Published 28th Feb 2016
  • 7,115 Views, 312 Comments

Of Love and Loss - tom117z



When Twilight becomes caretaker of the sun, everything falls apart. In the end, will she lose everything?

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14 - Broken Heart

Meanwhile, Crystal Empire



The Crystal Empire had recovered. As it always had.

The events which led to the death of Prince Shining Armor was long past, barely even in the backs of ponies’ minds. Forty years since his death, plus another twenty since Celestia’s. Enough time that they had become topics in filly’s and colt’s history classes.

A whole generation had grown up with Twilight as Princess of the Sun; none of them had ever known Celestia’s motherly smile. Neither had they known Shining Armor as he stood in protection of an Empire over a thousand years out of time.

They were simple subjects relegated to history.

But for some, burdened with eternal life, it was still fresh upon the mind.

“Mother?” Flurry Heart knocked on Cadance’s bedroom door. “Are you awake?”

No answer.

Flurry Heart suppressed a sad sigh, her now ethereal mane blowing through the air. For the last forty years she had served as the Crystal Princess, safeguarding the Crystal Heart and the Empire it brought life to.

Technically, that title still belonged to Mi Amore Cadenza. But she had barely been seen in a very long time indeed.

“Come on. I just want to talk,” Flurry pleaded. “I haven’t seen you in weeks. Just… please open up.”

Slowly, a blue aura latched onto the handle and twisted it open. Flurry had half expected the room to be in complete darkness when she entered, but the windows were open and Twilight’s sun was gently bathing the room in its light.

Flurry should have figured. For Cadance, the constant presence of her sister was one of the few comforts she had.

Cadance herself looked to be physically fine. She looked well-nourished and completely healthy.

However, her ethereal mane was non-existent. After Shining Armor had died it was like it had just faded back into a normal head of long, albeit beautiful strands of hair.

And the look on her face. The look of heartbreak that no regal mask could ever hope to hide.

Her cutie mark too had changed. Where once the Crystal Heart on her flank had been whole and filled with life, now it was dulled and split into two pieces.

Cadance was at the window, looking out onto the city below. When Flurry Heart gently entered the room and closed the door, the sound successfully roused Cadance from her thoughts as she turned to face her daughter.

For the first time in a while, a genuine smile actually graced her muzzle.

“Flurry. How are you?” She asked.

Flurry took in a deep breath as she thought of how to respond. “I’m doing well. As are our subjects,” She said as she sat next to her mother. “You could go and see for yourself, I know they would be thrilled to see you out and about,” She suggested hopefully.

Cadance didn’t answer, instead turning her tired eyes back out the window.

“I can see from here, they all seem to be… happy,” She said. “You do a better job than I could ever do. I’m useless.”

Flurry’s eyes widened as she cast a wing over her mother. “No! Don’t say that, you are anything but useless.”

“I’m pathetic, aren’t I?” Cadance muttered. “I just curl up in here feeling sorry for myself, while you do a better job than I could ever hope to do. You keep the empire safe while I sit and mope… Shiny would be ashamed of me,” Tears dripped from her cheeks and onto the crystal flooring.

“Don’t say things like that!”

“It’s true. He defended to Empire to his final breath, a feat I am unable to match. I couldn’t save him or the Empire that day. Instead, the latter was left to you, Twilight and Luna.”

“You were trapped in the throne room. You couldn’t do anything to help.”

Cadance shook her head. “It should have been me the creature killed, your father should have lived and not me.”

“Enough!” Flurry shouted. “You’ve been beating yourself up for years about this, we’ve been having this exact same conversation for all of it! Dad wouldn’t want you to do this, it would kill him all over again to see you like this. Please… just come outside.”

Cadance moved out from under Flurry’s wing. “I’m tired. And I do believe you have court soon.”

“Not for another hour,” Flurry replied.

“Then you better go and get ready,” Cadance said, moving up and onto her bed, placing her head down onto the pillow and closing her eyes.

Flurry Heart just stared at her mother for a moment, the sense of hopelessness descending down onto her. A sadly all too familiar feeling.

“I’ll come visit again soon. I won’t give up on you.”

No answer.

After a few more moments, Flurry sighed sadly in defeat and walked on out of the door, the two guards outside saluting as she passed.

The quiet assaulted Cadance’s ears. The only comfort was the sun’s rays settling down onto her fur. It was almost like Twilight was with her at that very second, holding onto her tightly to comfort her. It was part of her power, she could feel Twilight’s heart through the sun, which was an extension of her. She imagined Luna and Flurry had the power to feel Twilight’s presence, but not her emotions as she did. Outside of the sun physically changing form anyway, which as of yet it never had.

‘If only Luna could see the love she holds for her,' Cadance thought sadly to herself.

Twilight being at her side, that was part of her favourite dreams; dreams often given to her by Luna to stave away the nightmares that would plague her every night otherwise.

In those dreams, it would be before Celestia’s death. She would be with Celestia and Luna, along with Twilight, a baby Flurry Heart and of course her husband, Shining Armor. It was always a beautiful tree a short way from the mountain on which Canterlot sat, and the group would be having a simple picnic. Flurry Heart would play in the flowers as she and Twilight talked about various things. They would all be there, happy and alive. Enjoying each other’s company while they were still able.

But she would always wake up.

Cadance sighed into the pillow, weakly looking up at the door where her daughter had exited.

“I love you,” Cadance whispered. “And I am so proud.”

She closed her eyes again, wishing for sleep to take her back into her perfect little world. A place where she could be happy.

She began to drift off, Twilight’s presence helping immensely to place her at ease.

Only for the sun’s rays to suddenly change.

Cadance’s eyes shot open as she felt it. It was if the sun was screaming, even though it still looked the same.

Cadance felt Twilight’s anger, hatred and… sadness.

So much sadness.

Cadance realised it had been there all along. It had been there the day she took over as caretaker of the sun and been amplified the day Shining Armor died. On the first day after Shining Armor’s death, when Cadance had spent the first of many hours with nothing but the sun’s rays were her only companion and she actively began to detect it, Twilight’s pain had only served to break her heart further. But Cadance had grown used to its depressing presence, to the point where she had grown blind to its presence. Only feeling what she wanted to feel, Twilight's happiness and love.

But now it was stronger than ever, the pain of Shining and Celestia was topped with the pain of something new.

Tears began to flow anew down Cadance’s face as her sister’s pain became her pain, as she felt Twilight’s heart be crushed all over again.

Something terrible had happened.

Author's Note:

What happened to Twilight? Did something happen to one of her friends on their trip to the Museum of Friendship? Or is it something else entirely?

Find out... next time!